<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black'>&gt;&gt;&gt;For
assignments in which research essentially involves “searching records,” [your
suggestion of reporting after every 10 hours of research] is wise. On the other
hand, in many areas across rural America, where research is far more complex
and piecing together even a pattern might not be possible in less than 40
hours, reporting every ten or so hours would not work. The time would be
insufficient to develop anything meaningful and clients would walk away
thinking “once again, I got nothing from the search.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black'>Then, in response to
Larry’s response, I explained more fully:<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black'>&gt;&gt;“The ‘patterns’
to which I refer are evidentiary patterns developed through correlation and analysis
of seemingly disparate pieces of evidence. It can take a considerable amount of
research---not just on the elusive ancestor but on what I call his FAN Club
(Friends, Associates, and Neighbors)---to develop patterns of migration, naming
and religious practices, activities, land ownership, etc., from which we might
squeeze the first viable clues to origin, identity, or parentage. In cases such
as this, reporting after, say, 10 hours would provide the client with nothing
of any obvious value.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black'>&gt;</span></b><b
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black'>I'm
having trouble with this.&nbsp; If you can't figure out where the problems are
within 10 hours - rural or not, something is wrong with the genealogical
researcher's skills.<br style='mso-special-character:line-break'>
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]><br style='mso-special-character:line-break'>
<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black'>Jeanette, I did not say
that I (or any other researcher, generically) cannot figure out <i
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>where</i> problems are within 10 hours. That
point is obvious in the above snippets that you quoted.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black'>Beyond that, If you’ll
reread my original message, you’ll see that figuring out <i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'>where</i> the problems are and what approach to use is the critical
part of the problem analysis that I recommend as the first step <i
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>prior to</i> launching research. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black'>However, I’m the one who
is now confused by your comment above. A while ago, you transplanted this APG
discussion onto TGF and there you stated your disagreement with me quite
differently:<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=MsoPlainText>&gt;Elizabeth, you also mentioned that 40 hours might not
be enough to find needed information.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>I'm having a difficult time believing that a &quot;professional
genealogist&quot; would not be able to find enough information in that amount
of time.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>The &quot;professional
genealogist&quot; who can't is the last person I would want to hire.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p class=MsoPlainText>At this point, I’m pulling out my hair trying to figure
out exactly which it is you disagree with—my planning or my research.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>But, here as there (or there as here), I have
to agree with Jack’s TGF response in which he asked if you were “seriously
suggesting” that “absolute evidentiary proof [could be found] for any research
question in 40 hours or less.”<o:p></o:p></p>